Machine for the working of blanks



Sept. 25, 1945. Y .J. KURY 2,385,581 MACHINE FOR THE WORKING OF mums 1 Filed Sept. 17, 1941 sisheets -s'neeti ep ,,1945 J. KuRw 2,385,581

' MACHINE FOR THE WORKING OF BLANKS Filed Sept. l7, 1941 V 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mum/50R 1/0551 KURY ,4 TTORA/EYJ Patented Sept. 25, 1945 MACHINE FOR THE WORKING F BLANKS Josef Kiiry, Lausanne, Switzerland, assignor to J. Bobst & Fils S. A., Prilly, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Application September 17, 1941,,Serial No. 411,149

In Switzerland April 26, 1941 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a machine for working blanks, such as cardboard blanks, successively moved by gripper bars carried between a spaced pair of endless chains, the blanks being alternately moved and deposited.

In machines of this type, difliculty has been encountered in achieving precision at high speeds because of th inertia and momentum of the working masses which are opposed to the rapid succession of the Workin and stopping cycles. Furthermore, the characteristics of chains ordinarily make for inaccuracy if the positioning forces are transmitted through any substantial length of the chains.

It is thus an object of this invention to provide an intermittent drive for the chain sprocket shaft, including a coupling member constantly coupled to the sprocket shaft, but axially movable on the shaft between two axial positions, in the first of which positions the shaft is integrally coupled to a source of power, and in the second of which positions the shaft is rigidly locked to the machine frame; In cooperation with the intermittent drive, a lock is applied, when the coupling member is in non-drive condition, directly to a gripper bar so as to hold the ends of the bar tightly engaged against the driving sprockets.

By positively locking the coupling member in an accurately predetermined position to the machine frame between driving cycles, the driving sprockets are thus locked in the desired angular position, and by positively locking the ends of the gripper bars to the driving sprockets, the bar thus held will always be in the desired position substantially independent of any play, slack, or tension in the chains.

These and other objects will appear from the following specification and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view diagram showing the sprocket drive shaft, the coupling member, and a fragment of the toothed sector which intermittently drives the coupling member;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section along the line IIII of Fig. 1 showing the coupling member when the sprocket shaft is driven;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the coupling member whil locking the sprocket shaft to the machine frame;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the elements for controlling the axial position of the coupling member;

Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, showing a fragment of a sprocket, chain, gripper bar, apparatus for locking th gripper bar to the sprocket, and other elements hereinafter described; and, I

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the machine showing particularly the elements of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

In the drawings, in which like reference nu-v merals denote the same or similar elements, and in which a platen press fed by a feeder for handling cardboard blanks to be cut by steel punches has been selected by way of illustration, the reference numeral l denotes a sprocket shaft rotatably mounted in the machine frame l2, andhaving a pair of sprockets 2 and 3 keyed thereon for driving endless chains 4 and 4a which carry gripper bars 19 therebetween.

A step-by-step movement is imparted by a toothed sector 5 which oscillates'a pinion 6 which is rotatably mounted on shaft I and which carries on its inner face a set of spaced teeth I. As shown best in Fig. 3, teeth 1 cooperate with a set of teeth 8 on the opposite face of a sleeve 9 which is splined by teeth In on shaft I, so that while sleeve 9 always rotates with shaft l, itfis axially movable thereon. v

Thus when sleeve 8 is axially positioned as in Fig. 2 so that teeth I and 8 engage, shaft I will be driven when pinion 6 is rotated.

However, when sleeve '9 is moved axially to the Fig. 3 position, teeth 1 and 8 are disengaged and no drive occurs. On the contrary, shaft I is locked against rotation by a set of teeth ll rigidly extending from frame 12 and engaging into openings in the adjacent face of sleeve 9. For easier engagement with and for more accurate locking of th sleeve, teeth II are preferably trapezoidal shaped in cross-section so as to have wide bases and narrow ends, and the openings in the face of sleeve 9 are complementary.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 6, the shifting of sleeve 9 between its two axial positions is accomplished by a fork on a shaft [3 mounted on frame l2 for rotation about a vertical axis, the fork comprising a vertically spaced pair of arms I4 and I5 extending horizontally from the shaft 3, and pattern l6 and I1 slidably engaging in a groove 39 in sleeve 9, so that when shaft I3 is oscillated about its vertical axis, sleeve is thereby reciprocated axially between its driving and locking positions. Shaft 13 is, in turn, oscillated by a lower horizontal arm l8 extending rigidly therefrom, this arm having a cam follower (not shown) engaging in a cam slot 32 on drive wheel 3| connected to a suitable source of power. Also, as seen in Fig. 6, drive wheel BI is connected by an eccentric crank pin and rod 30 i ngs 25 adjacent their ends.

to sector 5. The operation of the elements thus far described is as follows: in starting, the cam slot 32 is in phase to position the fork so that disk 9 will be in its Fig. 2 position. When drive wheel 3| is rotated clockwise as seen in Fig. 5, toothed sector 5 is swung clockwise'to drive pinion oounterwise as shown by the arrows in Figs. 1,2, and '6, thus to drive shaft I. Upon further clockwise rotation of drive wheel 3| toothed sector 5 is reversed to swing counmrclockwise, thus reversing pinion 6 to rotate clockwise. Meanwhile,- though, the cam slot 32 'in the drive wheel has turned so as to swing the fork over, thereby axially moving sleeve 9 to its Fig.- 3 position, wherein teeth I and 8 are disengagedand the disk 9 has locked shaft l to frame by engagement with teeth I I.

The shaft remains so locked until the pin on drive wheel 3| passes six oclock, at which time the drivin cycle restarts.

The apparatus for successively locking the clamp bars to the drive sprockets during the non-drive intervals is shown in Fig. 5, it being understood that the cardboard blanks to be worked are conveyed by bands 26, the space beyond the ends of bands 20 being bridged by the table 32. I a

, A guide 2| supports the links of chain 4 whose links are connected by pivots 22, 23which engage in notches provided in sprocket 3. Between the chain pivots, bars I9 are placed, the bars being spaced from one another along the length of the chains. Operating mechanism (not shown) for the grippers may be provided in accordance with the skill of the art, it being suflicient here to note that the bars l9 are provided with open- Below each drive sprocket, a table 26' is pivoted at 21 so that when rod 28 is reciprocated vertically, table 26 is raised and lowered, A spring pressed piston 29 carried by table 26 is arranged so that when the opening 25 of a bar I9 is disposed thereabove, the piston, upon being raised with table 26, is engaged into the opening, thus tightly locking the bar to the sprocket.

Thus, the moving chains 4 and 4a bring a bar to the Fig. 6 position while table .26 is lowered, whereupon sleeve 9 is moved axially to lock shaft, by teeth, against frame l2 and table 26 is 5 raised to engage piston 29 into openings 25, there- 'by tightly to lock bar l9 against the sprockets.

Then, after the grippers have been operated to grip the work, table 26 is lowered, sleeve 9 is slid back so that teeth 1 and 8 engage, and drive resumes.

The invention is not limited to the specific disclosure, but maybe applied to all embodiments within the scope of the. following claims.

WhatIclaim is:,

thereto, including spaced sprockets having chains thereon, gripper bars carried by said chains and extending transversely there-between, means for intermittently driving said sprockets, holding means engagable with the ends of said bars for pressing said *ends against said sprockets, and operating means-engaging said holding means with said bars between the times when said sprockets are driven and forreleasing said holding means when said sprockets are driven, said machine including a stationary frame and a drive shaft for said sprockets rotatably mounted in said frame, the means for intermittently -driving said sprockets including a drive ele- 1 30 ment, rotatably mounted on said shaft, means for oscillating said drive element, a clutch element splined on said shaft and movable thereon between two axial positions, in the first'of which positions said clutchand drive elements are drivingly engaged, and inthe'second of which positions said clutch element is lockingly engaged with said frame, and means for moving, said clutch element to said first position while said drive element is rotating in one direction and 40 for moving said clutch element to the other position when said drive direction. 2

. JOSEF-KURY.

In a machine for working blanks fed singly element rotates in the other 

